The Feral Shinobi
by AkatsukiAngel94
Summary: After a shocking discovery whilst on patrol, Itachi's life is about to get a lot more interesting! Has he found a new student? Or is it something much more?
1. Chapter 1

**So this is a bit different! Should all become clear in the later chapters, I hope you enjoy it. Also I don't own any characters from the Naruto series, just Mori. Oh yeah, there's possible spoilers from the beginning so if you haven't seen from Itachi and Sasuke fight onwards, be warned. **

* * *

Itachi sighed to himself as he patrolled the area surrounding the new Akatsuki base. It had been nearly half a year since he had massacred his clan and the memory of that fateful night still sent a shudder down his spine.

As he walked through the wooded area, he was reminded of the times he used to train with Sasuke in the forest. How his silly little brother tried so hard to be just like him. He chuckled at the memory. Sometimes it was hard to face the fact he could no longer return to his village. His home.

Itachi, however, would then remind himself he was doing this for the safety of his brother. To protect Sasuke. He really did miss him and he was never far from his thoughts.

At the moment he was alone. Kisame Hoshigaki, his new partner, was resting from an injury he had sustained during their previous mission together. Itachi was to spend the rest of the day surveying the range, if he noticed anything that could prove dangerous to the Akatsuki's ambiguity, he had been ordered to kill on site. Shinobi or civilian.

Moving into a small clearing, he decided to take his rest. It was now late afternoon and the sun was at its highest point in the sky. He slouched against the trunk of a tree and relaxed in the warming rays.

Just as Itachi was beginning to feel drowsy a rustle in the bush beside him jolted him up from his hazy fatigue. Kunai in hand he waited for his enemy to approach him.

Several moments passed.

Rustle. Growl. Thump.

Itachi mentally kicked himself as he peered down at one of his injured 'enemies'.

A young wolf whimpered while it licked and nursed a wounded paw, its several siblings growling angrily at Itachi.

"It wasn't my fault," he sighed, "you shouldn't sneak up on humans…"

His words halted. His tongue seemed paralysed from the shock of what he had just witnessed.

At the sound of her wounded offspring the mother had appeared. A large grey wolf its eyes sharp with vengeance. But that wasn't what had astonished him.

Beside the mother, crawling on all fours, was a human girl.

She wore very little, nothing but tattered cloth that managed to cover her only slightly. Her skin was mucky, her ashy hair knotted with leaves and twigs and her skin was covered with cuts, bites and bruises. It looked as though she had been in many a tussle with the wolves.

She joined the concerned wolves that surrounded their sibling. The mother of the pack nudged the girl forward in the direction of Itachi. She looked up, her eyes seemed to be mixed with feral emotions. Curiosity and fury, seemed to take control.

She edged closer to Itachi, her eyes forever returning to the pack. Was this girl a wolf child? Her movements were cautious and as she grew closer her nose twitched, taking in his scent.

Itachi stared at her. His first reaction was whether she was classed as a shinobi or even a civilian and if he would in fact have to eliminate her. However her mannerisms were wild and it seemed she possessed no threat to the Akatsuki.

He lifted his hand up, to allow her to sniff it, however a growl erupted from her throat and she boar her teeth at him. But after he held it there a little longer she realised it was not an attack. She moved closer and smelt his fingertips.

Her large blue eyes gazed up at his. She let out what sounded to be a bark, possibly acknowledgment that he wasn't dangerous as the rest of the pack followed and joined in with the sniffing.

Itachi laughed. They seemed curious, but so was he. It was rare to see a pack of wolves at all, but during the day it really was remarkable. The girl sat beside Itachi, her gaze resting intently on him.

She began to make a grumbling noise, her face contorted with concentration and frustration.

"Mori," she mumbled.

Itachi frowned, "is that your name? Is that what you're called?"

"Mori. Mori."

He sighed. There was one way he could understand her. He looked deep into her eyes and felt the surge of chakra flow rush behind his retinas as he activated his Mangekyō. He didn't wish to hurt her, just glimpse at her memories. Find out how she came to be and what 'Mori' meant.

At first it was difficult, she had very little chakra and he couldn't tap into it to place her under a genjutsu. But after a few minutes of struggling he managed. He was presented with an array of flashbacks.

* * *

**Darkness. Screaming. There's only fear. **

**Cling to mother. Safety. What's happening? Why is everyone lying so still?**

**Terror. **

Tears are streaming down her scarlet cheeks, her face contorted with discomfort. Her mother tries desperately to soothe and silence the child but to no avail.

The enemies. The killers. They have found them.

The baby is silenced beneath the weight of her dead mother as she falls to the ground. A blade rips from her chest and the child's skin is now warmed by her mother's blood. Protecting her against the cold bite of the night air.

**Brief unconsciousness. **

**Wake up. Movement**.

Her eyes are now wide, an animal is dragging the child by her collar.

**Danger. Fear. Cry. **

**Sudden stillness. Soft warmth. **

The beast that had pulled her from the wreckage of her mother's corpse has now taken shelter in a cave. Her tail wrapped securely around the infant, the child sleeps once more.

* * *

Itachi paused after the first memory. Such an early time in her life left her thoughts confused as her mind communicated with her solely through emotions. The second memory hastily commenced, however.

Her adoptive mother has just given birth. The cubs have latched and are comfortable feeding. They are her siblings but not. She doesn't look like them. Why?

Her mother paws her head, the sharp nails catching in her hair. She understands her adopted daughter's thoughts and tries her hardest to comfort her. It's not just animal instinct. But care and maternal love.

In their small cave, the outside world is unseen however not unheard. The brash sound of human voices and giggling is loud in the nearby distance. But the sound is foreign to her.

She has never heard this type of animal before. Prey? Or Predator?

With an approving glance from her mother she decides to investigate. Bounding out into the forest she follows the alien noises. As she nears, strange smells fill her twitching nostrils. Sweat, food, unnatural scents.

She is curious.

Behind a tree she observes what appear to be cubs of whatever species, she can tell they're young by their overly large eyes and tiny fingers in comparison to their bodies. But their fur is strange, it is coloured with vibrant shades. In fact, they even shed their first layer. How odd.

Gliding over she sifts through the furs. Exploring the bizarre smells and textures. For some reason an urge comes over her and she takes them with her back to the cave. She wishes to show her mother.

Mother glares at the skin but dismisses it. Her daughter wraps up into her newly acquired bright flesh and sleeps beside her siblings.

* * *

Itachi looked away from her, sifting through the information he had just received. The girl however seemed confused by what had happened to her body and how she had suddenly been able to see past happenings. She shook her head in confusion.

"I think I shall come back to visit you," he said, "Mori."


	2. Chapter 2

**I only own Mori, all other characters are from Naruto which Masashi Kishimoto owns.**

Itachi and Kisame wondered through the market stalls of a small local village. The boisterous sounds of the calling sales people and their jingling trinkets cried for their attention and was difficult to ignore. Kisame looked down at his glazed over partner. Although he had known him only a short while, he could tell his mind was elsewhere.

Still he decided not to question. After all he had massacred his entire clan at the age of thirteen, he was not someone to anger. Besides this was their free time, he didn't want to dampen the mood by bringing any touchy subjects up.

They continued to walk through the bustle and Kisame paid little attention to any of the stalls. He had actually come to examine some of the new weapons the local armoury shop had brought in. The market was Itachi's idea.

He halted in front of a sweet stand. The little treats glistened with frosting and sugar, they were coloured and decorated beautifully.

"I never thought you had a sweet tooth," Kisame grinned.

"I guess you don't know me as well as you think," he paused examining dark balls, presumably chocolate, "I'll take three pounds of those please."

"Cravings?"

Itachi looked at his partner, "it's been a while since I shopped, I needed to stock up."

Kisame just frowned. He had never seen his partner eat sweets, other than the odd dango ball. After his purchase had been bagged the two made their way to the weapon shop.

The shop's bell jingled as they had entered. On ever wall gleamed various blades and weaponry. Kisame's eyes lit up. His partner loved destruction just a little too much, for Itachi's liking.

They examined the blades with inspecting touches; none of them were the creations of master craftsmanship but still capable weapons. A katana, with a thin blade caught Itachi's eye. The handle had been carved into the shape of a large paw, it's vicious claws visible and threatening. Around the handle wrapped blue string, strung with beads and dark fur. Presumably from a wolf as they were common around this area.

"It's beautiful, isn't it," the shop keep asked moving beside him, "not the most expensive blade in my shop, but I admire it all the same."

Itachi nodded. His thoughts were still far away. Strangely not with his younger brother, but that feral child he had met just a few days ago. He had been contemplating what to do about her presence.

If he spoke of her to the other members, she would certainly be used as an asset for the Akatsuki, which was definitely not what he wanted. If anything he wished to help her. But in what way he had no idea.

"It's not fit for you size, however," Kisame interjected, "it's too small."

"I know," he said, turning to the shop owner, "I'll take it."

* * *

She lay in a stream with her siblings bathing. The previous night they had hunted and their prey's blood stained her skin. She was still for a moment staring at her reflection. She had resembling features to the creature she had met the other day. They both had hair on top of their head and little anywhere else. Their noses were similar too, dry unlike her wolf siblings and possessed no whiskers. His ears didn't move to express emotion like her family's did either.

A sudden splash rippled through her reflection as one of her sisters plummeted into the depth of water in front of her. She had two sisters and three brothers. They didn't have names because she knew them by scent. This particular sister was recognizable by her sweet smelling fur, she often played among the flowers and soft grass. She was the youngest and originally the runt but she had survived her early days, gaining the respect of oldest sister.

The girl nudged the young wolf with her head, playful pushing her deeper into the water. Just as her sister was retaliating their mother lifted her head and let out a howl. It echoed through forest. It alerted any of the others who might have strayed from her line of sight that they were returning to the cave. Immediately.

A strange creature was coming their way. With the glance that Mother gave her eldest daughter, she knew it was the animal from before.

While the rest rushed inside, their dripping paws leaving prints on the cave floor, she sat guard outside.

Before she saw him, she smelt his peculiar scent and heard the crunch of his feet on the forest floor. Her nostrils were filled also with something else. Another alien aroma.

It was sweet, but the only other scent she knew that resemble anything near this one was honey.

Soon enough he appeared before her. In one of his hands was a bag that contained the syrupy smelling things. As he slowly drew nearer she rumbled a slight growl, a warning that she didn't want any funny business.

"Don't be nervous," he said quietly, "remember me from the other day, Mori?"

She silenced at the mention of that noise. When she had been much younger, other creatures like him played in the forest. She presumed they were cubs by their small size and often she would watch them with wonder from the depths of the wood. One day, however, they spotted her and skipped over to meet her. Because of the vast amount of them she froze with fear. But one of the bigger ones held out a piece of fruit, something she had never tasted before, so her curiosity took over and she tentatively ate it.

Once she had eaten the cubs had made a strange noise, she had known it was directed at her because of their intent glares. They repeated it several times, almost like chants.

"Mori," they had said.

Finally she copied.

"See," he said, "I knew you would remember me."

Mori cocked her head and cautiously moved forward, her eyes scanning the trees for any possibly enemies. However seeing there was none she slouched her shoulders slightly, in an attempt to relax. She sat down in front of him, her nostril twitching at the overly sugary smell. He crossed his legs in front of her and pointed to his chest.

"Itachi."

She looked at him blankly and he sighed. He poked her forehead which surprised her.

"Mori," he stated and pointed back at himself, "Itachi."

Mori looked as though she was considering the sounds he was making, she scrunched her face up and mumbled.

"Eee..ta..chee," she sounded slowly.

Itachi nodded and repeated his name quicker this time. After repeating it several times, she managed to properly copy the way he had spoken it. However, she didn't truly understand the purpose and meaning of the sound for she had never used names.

He rummaged through his bag and retrieved a brown sphere, as he did so the honey smell was dragged with it. He held it out to her in the palm of his hand. She cautiously took it and nibbled at it. Testing it first. When the new flavours touched her tongue, she pulled a face at the extreme sweetness. However in the time to come, they would be her favourite treats.

Itachi was pleased she had managed to learn his name, or at least make the sound. By the length of the memories had spanned from he guessed she was ten. He wasn't sure where to begin teaching her to speak. It had been so long since he had observed Sasuke learning. Which words should he explain first?

He decided to go with body parts. It might be the easiest. He had also come to the conclusion that using his Mangekyō might speed the process, if he placed her in Tsukyomi he might be able to get more accomplished in short spaces of time. Although he had plenty spare, his next mission wasn't for months,he had no intention of wasting it in the Akatsuki base with the others. He couldn't bare the other criminal's company. They were just too different to himself.

He looked deep into her eyes she seemed to flinch slightly as his Mangekyō swivelled into position. Clearly she remembered the strange happening of being able to see her memories the other day. He drew her into Tsukyomi, creating a setting that look similar to the forest they were sitting in so not to frighten her.

At first Mori did appear anxious, she could no longer smell the scents of her pack, however she relaxed when Itachi handed her another treat. With his presence there she felt slightly safer.

He indicated to each part of his body, first starting at the tip of his fingers and ending with his nose, saying clearly their names as he went. With each time Mori took a few attempts to pronounce them, taking more than several when it came to elbow and shoulder, and after each time he rewarded her with a sweet.

As she munched on her final reward she pointed to each feature of her face, repeating the words she had learnt. A few of the pronunciations were a bit off but other than that she had remembered them all. Itachi smiled to himself.

His chakra was diminishing slightly for using the genjutsu for so long, so he decided it was time for their lessons to finish. The world around them dissolved and Mori could once again sense her family's presence.

Itachi stood to take is leave but stopped as he noticed, she too tried to stand. However she couldn't get her balance right and she toppled over.

"So you can't walk?" he chuckled, "hand?"

He held out his hand for support and Mori grasped it, squeezing tightly as she pulled herself up. Her legs wobbled beneath her weight but she managed to stand. A proud smile spread across her face and she looked to the bag of treats waiting for a reward. Itachi laughed.

"You don't get one of those for everything you do," he looked behind and realized her pack was watching, "your siblings will get jealous."

He lowered her to the floor so she didn't fall, then with a nod to her mother he left. Mori let out a slight whimper at his departure.

"…Itachi," she wined but he was out of ear shot.

He was glad how their lesson had gone. Mori was capable of learning and would definitely distract him from his nightmarish memories, the loss of his family and his brother's hatred for him.

However he didn't realise the impression he had left on the wild child. As soon as he left she practised standing using a tree to support her. While her family ripped into a dear's carcass, she continued to practise. Determined to impress her mentor.

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**I'm probably going to be updating pretty quick for this story, just because it's being playing on my mind for ages. Anyhow hope you're all enjoying it so far! Love to hear your views though, so you know please review! :)**


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